The Elephant and The Dog

A king's elephant and a dog form a friendship, are suddenly separated, but they are reunited by the king and live happily.

Once upon a time, in a big kingdom, there was a king who loved animals. His favorite animal was a huge elephant. The king built a big house for the elephant and chose a caretaker to make sure the elephant was always well-fed and happy.

One sunny day, a small dog wandered into the elephant's house. The elephant, who was resting, saw the dog eating some of his food. The elephant didn't mind and shared his food with the dog. Soon, the elephant and the dog became close friends. The dog decided to stay in the elephant's house, and the caretaker allowed it, happy to see the dog getting healthier.

One day, a farmer saw the dog and wanted to take it home. He offered the caretaker some money for the dog. The caretaker, even though he wasn't supposed to, took the money and let the farmer take the dog away.

After the dog left, the elephant felt very lonely and sad. He missed his little friend so much that he stopped eating and drinking, which made him weak. When the king found out, he went to see what was wrong.

The caretaker was afraid to tell the king the truth, so he pretended he didn't know why the elephant was unhappy. The king sent his doctor to check on the elephant, but the doctor couldn't understand why the elephant was sad. Then, the king’s helpers asked people about the missing dog.

The king wanted to help. He announced that anyone who could bring the dog back would get a great reward. The farmer who had the dog heard this and brought the dog back to the king. He told the king how he got the dog from the caretaker.

The caretaker apologized for his mistake. The king was happy to see the dog and elephant together again. He decided the dog should always stay with the elephant. He made sure the caretaker gave the farmer's money back and took good care of both the dog and the elephant.

The elephant and his dog friend were very happy. They had a big meal and lived happily together in their big house.

A king's elephant and a small dog curled up together as close friends

Audio available for B1 version

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Word Finder
  1. Kingdom

    A country ruled by a king.
  2. Caretaker

    Person who looks after someone or something.
  3. Wandered

    Moved around without a specific direction.
  4. Resting

    Taking a break to relax.
  5. Close

    Having a strong and friendly relationship.
  6. Offered

    Presented something to someone for acceptance.
  7. Lonely

    Feeling sad from being alone.
  8. Pretended

    Acted in a false way to deceive.
  9. Reward

    Something given for doing a good job.
  10. Apologized

    Said sorry for doing something wrong.
Understanding Questions
  1. Why did the elephant become friends with the dog?
  2. What did the farmer do when he saw the dog in the elephant's house?
  3. How did the king find out about the elephant's sadness?
  4. What action did the king take to find the missing dog?
  5. What did the king do to make sure the dog and elephant could stay together?
Reflection Questions
  1. What do you think made the elephant and the dog become such good friends, even though they are so different from each other?
  2. Why do you think the caretaker decided to sell the dog, and how do you think he felt after seeing the elephant so sad?
  3. The king played an important role in bringing the dog back. What does this tell us about the responsibility of leaders or those in charge?
  4. How do you think the dog felt when it was taken away from the elephant and then brought back?
  5. This story shows us how important friendship is. Can you think of a time when you helped a friend or a friend helped you?
Fable Quotes

Friendship is the bond that unites hearts, no matter how big or small.

In unity, we find strength and joy, like two pieces of a puzzle fitting perfectly.

Loyalty is the compass that always points to the heart of a friend.

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